Falling Too Far
by Evaryn
Summary: Daniel didn't think it would be that easy to rejoin the SGC did he?  It's hard to keep track of who your friends and enemies are when you can barely remember you're own name.   Early season 7
1. Chapter 1

Season 7 story.

Falling Too Far

There is more to the story than just waking up naked on a distant planet. Nothing the ancients do is done without reason. There was a reason why it took two months for SG-1 to be led to Daniel. Why it was at that moment that Jonas had the epiphany.

Because before that would have been too soon.

Shamda, the old story teller who found Arrom liked having a new story to tell, and he liked having someone new to tell his old stories to.

Finding the naked man brought a whole new crowd of listeners to Shamda's tent. And the naked man, Arrom, was also an attraction for those visitors. Fallen out of the sky like a shooting star, a fully grown man with no memory. Arrom spoke rarely, but he was always paying attention.

The belief of the villagers that he'd been sent by the lightning gods. He was a gift and a test.

At first, Arrom mostly slept. The naked man was not much use. That was another test from the gods, to care for the fallen one.

He had many dreams, dreams that were frightening or sad, because Shamda often heard him cry out, there were tears, or the naked man would be shaking.

"What do you dream?" Shamda asked.

"I don't know." Arrom answered, his eyes haunted by whatever visions lingered in his head.

With a weakened body, poor eyesight, and no memory, all that Arrom could do was listen to Shamda tell his stories, and that suited Shamda just fine.

"Are you a god?" Shamda asked him.

"No."

"You are a gift from the lightning gods."

"Why?"

"To test our hospitality."

"I don't think so."

"Why do you not think so?"

"I dream of war, and of things that are evil. And I have a feeling, that I am being punished."

"Do you believe you are evil?" Shamda asked.

Arrrom placed his hand on his chest. "I feel wrong. I think I've done something terrible, maybe something that made the gods take my memory."

"But they delivered you to us, and we are a good people. Perhaps then it is for us to give you a second chance?"

"But if I am evil?"

Shamda nodded. "Do you have the desire to do evil things?"

"Well, no. But…"

"Arrom, you fell from the sky, a gift to us, and it is for us to raise you back up."

That wasn't an explanation Arrom liked. Eventually Arrom became more independent. Because of his poor eyesight, he was no good for hunting, but an elder woman of the village saw that he was interested in letters, and she taught him the art of scribe. There was not much to teach, he seemed already to have the knowledge waiting. She demonstrated how to prepare the ink, and heat the pen. He already knew the sacred letters. And so that became his task. The art of scribe was rare, and Shamda used the opportunity to scribe his stories. Arrom requested a tent of his own, the village men helped.

While he was not working, Arrom took walks. There were some who felt apprehensive about him being on his own. Other than Shamda, Arrom didn't have people he would call friends, but there were those who worried. It was understood that Arrom was not of the people, that Arrom was theirs to take care of, but it was also understood that he may be dangerous. The villagers worried that if they were remiss in their care of the naked one, the lightning gods would take vengeance. Parents told their children that Arrom had inside him a sleeping demon, and they were warned to be careful not to do anything that may wake it.

Then the people of war came through the chappa'ai.

Arrom spent many mornings walking through the temple ruins where he'd been found. The story Shamda told, about the naked man falling from the sky, it felt like a fairy tale. There were times that something seemed to be hovering just on the edge of his mind, something important that needed to be done, and then it was gone, and the closest he ever felt to finding it was out in the ruins.

The rumours the villagers told, about him being a test from the lightning gods, about there being a sleeping demon inside him disturbed him greatly. He knew there had to be more to it. Why would the lightning gods put him here? Why would they do this to him, if they did this to him? The stories about the sleeping demon, it scared him that they were right, that there was evil inside him waiting for his memory to return. Staying in the village, though painfully alone, he knew there were many watching over him to ensure if the demon inside ever awoke, that it could do no harm.

He'd been thinking about the writing on the temple, head down and not paying attention to his surroundings when they found him.

Guns.

Though he knew he'd never seen weapons like that in the village, he recognized them for what they were. The men were dressed in green, weapons ready, staring at him. Arrom froze.

They recognized him, he could see that in their eyes, and he also saw apprehension and fear. Arrom raised his hands, to show that he was unarmed.

"Dr Jackson?"

Arrom blinked, shook his head slightly. "No."

The men lowered their weapons slightly. "You had better come with us." The man in front said excitedly.

His heart pounded. _They know me._ These were the people that he dreamed about? Were they the ones who sent him here who wanted him punished, or had he escaped from them somehow? What were they going to do to him now that they found him?

He'd known that the village wasn't going to be his home for long, but he was unsure how to react to the sudden prospect of losing the only home he knew. Did these people intend to take him prisoner, or kill him? What had he done to them?

They surrounded him, and he decided then that he wouldn't run. This many people with weapons could kill everyone in the village if they wanted to, he would not be the one to give them cause.

When he stood face to face with the ones the men brought him to, he felt ready to burst with anxiety. Keeping his expression neutral, he faced three people who looked shocked, and relieved to see him.

What did it mean? Obviously they weren't here to kill him as he'd expected, but then if they were allies to the man he'd been, and if the man he'd been was evil, what did that make these people? Suddenly faced with the new prospect of being found, he feared the story of the sleeping demon may come to pass.

These people of war, these people with weapons called him friend.

He didn't want to wake the evil inside. And so he tried to explain to the grey haired man that he couldn't remember, that he wasn't who he had been. That even though he'd tried to remember, he couldn't.

The grey haired man described a war. A war he'd been a part of.

"These people are all I know."

It was the woman, Samantha Carter, who gave him hope.

"What if I don't like who I was, what if I don't want to be that person? What if I don't have it in me to make up for something I've done wrong?"

The man she described wasn't a demon. She spoke of honour and courage. These people wanted him to return with them.

When the Jaffa warrier came to speak to him Arrom asked. "If I don't come with you, will you harm the villagers?"

The warrior looked sad. "Truly, it is unfortunate that you do not remember the lives you have saved, and the people you have helped."

"Why are you here?"

"We are here searching for ways to defeat a great evil."

"So I have a choice?"

"If you do not wish to return, that will be your choice. But I want you to know, that it will bring great sorrow to those who knew you, if you chose to remain where you are."

And so Daniel went, because he knew staying had never been an option anyhow.

The first impression was less than stellar. People greeted him at the entrance, people he didn't recognize who were apparently pleased to see him. It was going to take some time to get used to being called Daniel Jackson.

Jack O'Neil led him towards a medical centre, explaining that tests needed to be done to prove him to be the Daniel Jackson they were talking about.

"What if I'm not him?"

Jack O'Neil clasped him on the back. "Oh you are."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because." The grey haired man answered enigmatically.

They called it an infirmary, a woman in a white coat greeted him, her eyes searching. "Daniel?" She asked, the Colonel shook his head slightly and she cleared her throat and started again. "I'm Janet. I'm a Doctor here."

"A medicine Doctor?"

"Yes Daniel."

"I'm a Doctor, but not medicine." Jack looked shocked and Daniel quickly added, "Teal'c told me." Daniel looked around uncomfortably, feeling uneasy. It was strange to think he was deep underground, surrounded by technology he didn't even know the purpose of.

They walked him into a small room, grey, with many strange looking tools. He missed the air and the breeze of the villiage. The constant background hum of motors and fans was distracting. A small square of cloth was handed to him.

"Please change into this."

"I have to take off me clothes?"

Jack snickered. "Don't worry, you'll get new ones."

Daniel nodded. It was too late to turn back now. The others left the room, and Daniel changed. The new robe was thinner than parchment, and cold. He'd folded his robes up and placed them on the table. Janet, Jack O'Neil and a nurse re-entered the room, and the nurse, a young woman with black hair, took away his belongings.

That left him with nothing. He was no longer Arrom, not yet Daniel Jackson, no clothes, no belongings. "What do you want me to do?"

"Lie down please?"

He lied back and concentrated on staring at the ceiling rather than feeling nervous.

"You don't have to be nervous." Jack O'Neil said, and hearing the echo of his unspoken thoughts made Daniel jump. He looked sceptically at Janet, and Janet frowned.

"Daniel, take deep breaths, I'm going to listen to your heart."

He did as she asked, and she explained each step as they went. A cotton swab of the cheek for DNA, a pin prick in the arm that collected blood. None of the tests hurt, for that he was thankful. It took a very long time. So many questions, many of them he couldn't answer. She placed things on his head, and made him lie down again while a machine beeped to his right. She shined light in his eyes, made him read a chart of letters across the room. She asked him to remove the thin robe.

Jack O'Neil grinned. "It's okay, she's a doctor."

"What about you?"

Jack sighed and turned around. "Better? Geeze, we shared a locker room for six years, you'd think…" He coughed. "Five years."

Jack heard the robe rustle and turned back to see Daniel re-clothed. "That wasn't so bad, right?"

Daniel shrugged. "Are we done?"

Janet smiled. "It will take time for the results of the tests but so far, I'm saying yes. You are 100% Daniel Jackson. Appendix scar and all."

"What scar?"

"Your appendix." Janet gently touched his abdomen. "You were sick a few years ago, and you needed surgery."

"So that's what that's from." He placed a hand over the scar. "And what about here?" He touched his lower leg.

"Shrapnel. There was an explosion and debris hit you in the leg."

He blinked rapidly and looked up at the ceiling. "And this?" He reached behind his back and touched his shoulder.

"Staff blast from a Jaffa weapon." Jack smiled. "Convinced?"

Daniel looked back at him with a baffled expression on his face. Janet cleared her throat. "Daniel, for now I'm issuing you a base pass, you will be under surveillance until the tests clear you completely, but Colonel O'Neil will escort you to a room where I hope you will be comfortable."

Daniel nodded vaguely.

A nurse brought in a sealed package. "You're clothes Dr Jackson."

"Where are my robes?"

Jack glanced at Janet. He hadn't even considered Daniel might want his former clothes back. Jack felt bad, he really did, but he couldn't have Daniel running around the base dressed like a nomad either. "You'll fit in better around here wearing these."

Daniel looked around. "Okay."

When Jack next entered the room, Daniel was dressed in the greens. "What now?"

Jack tried to think of something comforting but couldn't find anything to say. "How about food? When is the last time you ate anything?"

"I- uh, yes, I could eat." He followed Jack O'Neil again through grey drab hallways. There were no windows, no natural light what so ever.

Jack told him to sit at a table in the corner of a large hall while he went to collect food. Daniel felt awkward; there was a group of men at a table near by talking in hushed voices, looking his way.

It was obvious they were talking about him. He wondered if he used to know them.

A tray appeared in front of him as Jack sat down. "You're in luck. Meat loaf."

The food was plentiful, but it smelled strange. "Thank you."

Jack smiled, and watched.

There was nothing Daniel did that didn't feel like it was being examined. Even eating he didn't know if he was doing it right. The tools, he watched others eating and copied their movements. Was there a ritual to follow? Jack was looking at him funny. Maybe _Daniel_ did things differently? If they discovered he wasn't their friend after all, what would they do?

"What?"

"Nothing." He lied and smiled.

He suspected he was doing it wrong, and felt the weight of their disappointment. They kept looking for something in him, and he didn't know how or even know if he wanted to put it there.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Being a part of SG-1 again, the memories that were surfacing, it was like living a dream and a nightmare all at once, but one that he had no intention of waking up from. The excitement of learning, and of fighting for something he believed in was exhilarating. As Arrom, he would have never believed that this was the existence he really belonged to.

When a doctor from a research facility requested an interview, Daniel hadn't considered it to be out of the ordinary. At least, not until the questions started. "You are claiming to be Daniel Jackson."

Daniel sat in the lab across from Dr Herrosh, and regarded the man sceptically. "I never claimed to be Daniel Jackson. It's everyone else who insisted I was, they found me, not the other way around. And I am Daniel Jackson."

"Nonetheless, apparently your tests have returned inconclusive. If you wish to remain in the SGC, you will have to undergo further testing at Area 51."

"What is that?"

"A research facility."

"And it can't be done here?"

"No."

Daniel sighed. Though the memories were definitely in his head, they consisted mostly of disjointed images and incomplete events. He tried to concentrate on Area 51, to recall something about it, positive or negative. "So what happens if I fail somehow? What if, according to you, I'm not Daniel Jackson?"

Dr Herrosh smiled. "That wouldn't be fore me to decide, I'm just a scientist."

"But if, what do you think would happen?"

"The stargate program has been involved in the relocation of many refugees fleeing from Goauld rule. It is likely they would do the same for you."

Daniel considered that, it didn't sound so bad, but then none of the relocated refugees had fragmented memories about a top secret base on the protected ancient home world of human-kind. "And if I refuse to be tested?"

"The same I imagine."

Bull. He could remember enough about the military way of doing things that they didn't just set loose a possible intelligence threat out into a warzone, which is what most of the military considered the universe to be.

Jack might have something to say about it. Daniel wasn't sure. Samantha Carter and Teal'c were obviously rooting for him, but he doubted they had the sufficient seniority in the system to challenge a military order. What Jack would do, Daniel didn't know. He received mixed signals from Jack. Jack did a lot of staring at Daniel, and acted overly cheerful and supportive, but Daniel suspected that was mostly for his benefit. Daniel knew Jack had something to gain from Daniel being back and rejoining SG-1, he just wasn't sure what. What if Area 51 were to threaten that?

"I'd like to have Colonel O'Neill supervise the testing."

Dr Herrosh sighed. "I understand that O'Neill is involved in meetings for the next three days."

Daniel hadn't known that, and wasn't convinced it was true. "Then we'll wait."

"No we can't. Look, Daniel, it's a formality little else. The tests here were inconclusive not negative. All we need to do is some minor auxiliary testing with the equipment we have at our labs, and we're good to go, the paper work to reinstate your former clearance is already set to be filed. It would be a shame to have to recall it and make everyone involved resubmit."

If only there was something he could remember about area 51.

"The Colonel will be informed of your testing just as soon as he returns to his office and looks over his paperwork."

This was the organization he had chosen to work for, would he do so if they couldn't be trusted?

"No. Look, no offence, but I don't know you. I don't even know what Area 51 is. Unless a member of my team is able to accompany us, I'm not going anywhere."

Daniel reacted too late. He was taken off guard because it was supposed to be safe here, everyone was supposed to be on the same side. But apparently not. The Doctor snatched his arm, and before Daniel could fight back the contents of a syringe was injected into his forearm. He felt the effects immediately, dizziness, confusion, nausea. He suddenly couldn't remember who the man in front of him was or what he was doing there.

"Let's get you to the infirmary Dr Jackson." The man said kindly, and guided a newly submissive Daniel out the door.

Past the checkpoints on the surface, Dr Herrosh opened the side door of a white van and Daniel climbed in. It shut suddenly behind him, leaving him in a dim interior with wooden benches along the sides, no door handles, and a wire mesh separating the front from the back. Doctor Herrosh climbed in the passenger seat and smiled back at Daniel.

They drove only half an hour to an airfield, but within that time, Daniel started regaining lucidity, the door slid open and two airmen waited for him. They held handcuffs. The chances of outrunning the airmen in the middle of nowhere, with not help, no cover, and no idea where to go didn't look positive. Letting them put the handcuffs on him without resistance was even worse. Daniel twisted out of the grip of the man holding his arm and ran. He still felt slightly sick and unbalanced, and it didn't take long for one of the airmen to tackle him.

This time they held on tighter.

Dr Herrosh was already in the helicopter. Daniel caught the eye of the airmen and took a chance. "Please, contact Colonel O'Neill. Let him know about this."

"Yes sir." One whispered just before slipping a hood over his head. They led him onto a helicopter, maybe an hour or so later the copter landed and he was ushered into a building. The hood was removed, but the cuffs remained. The airmen from the mountain were replaced with some other kind of military personnel he didn't recognize.

He was led down a neutral hallway, into a room accessible by a swipe card, and instructed to sit on a table. The lab looked similar to the room where Dr Fraser examined him at the SGC. At least at the SGC he wasn't restrained, and Jack was there. He was starting to wonder just how dependent he'd become on Jack, especially as he wasn't exactly certain of the man's motives.

A group of four scientists walked in. At least he assumed they were scientists. They all wore white gowns and paper face masks. Two guards stood around them, also wearing disposable paper face masks.

"Are you afraid that you'll catch something or that I'll recognize you later?"

They didn't answer.

Daniel bit his lip. "I am a member of the SG-1, Colonel O'Neill is my superior and I'm pretty sure you have no right detaining a member of his team without his authorization."

"Who do you think signed off on this operation?"

"How gullible do you think I am?" No. This was not an official operation. No way. They wouldn't have bothered drugging him and getting him out of the SGC quietly if this was official.

"You are a potential security threat to the safety of this planet. We couldn't take the risk of you contacting any allies."

"Then you would have done this long ago,"

"Your expertise in the Ancient language was necessary to the mission."

Daniel felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Yes, he knew he'd been useful, and if not for his knowledge of the Ancient language there was no way they'd have allowed him to join the mission against Anubis. He remembered real events, things that made him trust his team, and gave him faith in the people around him. But what was behind Jack's odd behaviour? He'd been studying him, was it because he was trying to see any proof of duplicity?

"Change into this." A woman placed a paper gown on the table.

Daniel held up his wrists. "How exactly?"

The guards stepped forward and unbound his wrists. Daniel reluctantly changed while everyone watched closely and dropped his clothing into the clear plastic bag provided. "Now what?"

"Lie down." She said.

"You aren't going to dissect me or anything are you?" And oh how he hoped they'd find that funny.

They looked at each other quickly and Daniel did not feel reassured.

"Why don't you take off the masks?" He asked.

"You should consider the masks reassuring. Only tests will be done. There would be no point in covering our faces if we thought you couldn't recognize us after, correct?"

Still not _very_ reassuring. "What are you going to do?"

"Just tests Doctor Jackson. Please lie down and let us continue with our jobs."

"Uh, no. How about I don't."

Why did it look like none of them were surprised he wasn't cooperating? Maybe the same reason they were covering their faces. "This would be much easier if you just do as we request."

"Not until you take those masks off, and tell me what the hell is really going on here."

The guards stepped forward and Daniel retreated, hands non-threateningly in the air. "We can discuss this right? I'm not asking that much. Just tell me what you're doing."

He backed up against the wall and the guards grabbed his arms. They pulled him back towards the table, and Daniel didn't struggle until he saw the scientists preparing straps on the table. "Wait, wait, wait. Okay, just wait. This isn't necessary. I'll cooperate."

They didn't listen. They pushed him down on the table, and held him steady while his wrists were buckled into leather straps, and then his ankles, holding him in place.

"Please calm yourself Doctor Jackson. Our tests require you to be conscious; needing to put you under sedation would simply waste our time and your own."

Daniel didn't see how that was supposed to keep him calm. He was already strapped down, what more kind of participation did they need? If he could delay them, what good would that do? Was SG-1 looking for him? Or were they part of this?

Of course he should have realised there would be more questions about who he was and where he came from. For someone claiming to be the long lost team member amnesia is pretty convenient, right? They'd run into duplicate SG-1 teams before. The androids, and then the holographic invasion. So really, a fake Daniel Jackson wasn't that far out in impossible-land.

They would have said something, given him warning or something though. SG-1 was going to find out he was missing and come and stop this. Any minute.

Just because they weren't around when he was taken from the base wasn't any reason to be suspicious of their loyalty. Conveniently unavailable for him to run to for help?

They couldn't really be intent on dissecting him or anything, right? They wouldn't bother with masks if they didn't think he'd be alive to identify them, and if they were worried about being identified then obviously they were worried about getting in trouble for what they were doing, and so he felt fairly confident that Jack and the SGC probably weren't cooperating with this. But if the tests were innocent, why bother with the masks? No, he didn't not want to be sedated, nor for this to take any longer than necessary, but on the other hand he didn't want to make it any easier for them either.

Two 'doctors' stood on either side. He saw a flash of scissors, and the front of his paper gown was cut open. He focused on the parts of faces that he could see. Bushy brown eyebrows wore a stethoscope and listened to his heart. Black Pony tail guy pulled a tray closer with various supplies on it, including an IV stand.

"Hold your arm still."

"What's in the IV?"

They didn't answer, but a guard did come close and hold his arm in place while the IV was inserted.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Jack noticed the airman rushing towards the door, followed by several other men trying to restrain him. Jack caught Hammond's eye and looked to the door. Hammond paused and looked at the door, "What's going on here?"

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't know how else to get this information to you as fast as possible." The airman looked right at Jack just before getting tackled and forced into handcuffs. "A scientist, Dr Horrosh from Area 51 took Dr Jackson for testing."

Jack stood up, and waved the other men away. "Under whose orders?"

"It checked." He got back up and dug into his pocket. "I made a copy."

Jack looked. "Situation?"

"Not good. They had Dr Jackson cuffed and hooded last I saw."

"Where?"

"Area 51. I was pilot sir."

Jack sighed. "And you will be again. I'll get my team ready."

Top clearance and a domineering personality can take you as far as you want to go.

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were able to proceed through the ranks of scientist and military personnel; their reputation as the team who collected most of the crazy stuff they experimented on in the hanger well known.

The military personnel were more enthusiastic to cooperate with SG-1 than Jack had expected; eager to demonstrate their loyalty to the _real_ front line team.

The door opened to the observation area of the isolation room in which they held Daniel, and Jack stormed over to the window. The sight below made his stomach churn, and from the growl that emanated from Teal'c he knew the Jaffa felt the same way.

Daniel lay on a table, restrained. There were multiple vials of blood collected on a table beside, along with electrodes, meters, video equipment, and readouts.

Samantha was already through the door. "What the hell is this?"

Her eyes were on Daniel, knowing that her team had her six. His eyes were glassy, pupils dilated, and she wished that they had brought Janet with them.

The scientists backed up, and the guards stood far back, unwilling to oppose the front line team from the SGC. Sam took in the electrodes and IV and the whole set up and it wasn't hard to surmise what he'd been through so far. She picked up one of the charts, trying to assess the situation. "Daniel?"

His responses were slow, but he did respond and look at her.

Jack wasted no time releasing the buckles from his wrists and ankles. "You okay Daniel?"

Daniel nodded, but he didn't seem at all okay, and Jack didn't blame him one bit because nothing about this was in any way acceptable.

"This is important research and verification." One of the scientists responded. Teal'c took two strides, and ripped the mask off his face; he did the same with the others and looked like he would like to rip off a lot more than just the masks. "You're names."

"Dr Stinson, Dr Waverly, Dr Hart, Dr Johan."

"Who authorised this?" Jack demanded. He'd seen the paperwork; it was double tongued and convoluted in source. But of course it was convoluted; how could the abduction and maltreatment of a civilian scientist not come from a questionable source?

"The Trust." A woman stepped forward. "We were following orders."

"There is always a choice." Teal'c glowered.

Jack and Sam helped Daniel sit.

"Where is Daniel Jackson's clothing." Teal'c grabbed Dr Stinson with the bushy eyebrows by his lab coat and nearly lifted him off his feet.

"Here." Another man, Dr Hart with a pony tail, ran to a closet and pulled out a bag, handing it to Samantha.

Sam and Jack helped Daniel while Teal'c continued threatening the scientists.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just give me a minute." Daniel rasped.

"I recommend a stretcher." Dr Hart argued. He could see the scales had tipped, and he thought it best to get on the good side of current power holders. How else best to do so than to show care for the patient?

"No." Daniel glared at the doctor, and then looked back to Jack. "I'm okay, really. Just a little shaky." He stood up, holding Jack's arm as support. "I'll walk out of here."

Jack nodded. "Teal'c, bring two of them."

Teal'c grabbed Mr. helpful, and a woman who looked defiant. The way out of Area 51 was slow. They were passed in the hall with odd glances, but he military didn't bother them.

Daniel sat between Jack and Teal'c in the helicopter, shivering and staring somewhere off in the distance. Two of the scientists were on the flight with them, being dragged to report to the General and to relate a full report to Janet.

Daniel didn't protest as they took him to the infirmary, he sat down on the bed and watched Janet rip into the scientists from Area 51.

"My tests were not inconclusive." She stated matter of fact. "What did you do to him?" She looked over the file, not waiting for an answer. "Hallucinogens. Sodium Amytal. Electrotherapy."

Jack tried not to hit anyone. They noticed. "We had orders, detailed instructions as to how to proceed."

"And the restraints?"

"He was non-cooperative."

"What the hell did you expect?" Jack demanded.

"There were still questions; whether Daniel Jackson is the same man he was when he ascended over a year ago, if he may be compromised, if his alliances have changed. All things that should have been considered by the SGC. It is our duty to protect this country, and to do so it is sometimes necessary to ask the hard questions."

"Torture isn't a hard question." Jack reminded him.

"He refused to talk, and so the drugs needed to be administered. We recorded the session. Direct questions were asked about ascension. He claimed not to know. We didn't do anything more than what we needed to enhance memory recall. The low frequency electrotherapy we used can activate synapses, I assure you we had Dr Jackson's well being in mind the entire time, we know how important he is to off world exploration and we..."

"Cut the crap." Jack finally lost it and shoved Dr Hart into a wall of shelves. "And save the ass kissing."

"We weren't getting anywhere, so a time line was established. If we could get the subject-"

"Dr Jackson." Jack corrected automatically.

"Yes, of course. If we could get Dr Jackson to focus on that last mission to Kelowna we thought we could lead from there into ascension. Up to that point he was conscious, uncooperative, but he was fine. After we encouraged the memories about Kelowna... we lost control of the experiment. We tried to back track, to redirect, but he was freaking out."

"What do you mean?" Janet asked. "What did you do?"

The woman stepped forward, looking completely disgusted with her colleague. "It was a flash back, an real to him flash back. About dying. I've never seen anything like it before. It was..." She rubbed at forehead a moment. "I'm sorry. We never meant for anything like that. He was in pain. We tried sedatives, and pain relievers. We tried to fix what we did, we didn't mean to hurt him like that. It was supposed to be an examination and interrogation that's all."

Daniel stared incredulously at Dr Johan. "Please tell me you don't believe anything she's telling you."

Janet turned back to Daniel, and then addressed the prisoners once more. "I've heard enough. Do you have anything useful to add?"

The woman broke her sorry act to glare at Daniel. "The Trust will get the answers they seek one way or another. It's just a matter of time."

"Get them out of here." Janet ordered.

She turned her attention back to Daniel, "Can you tell me what they did to you?"

He sighed. "Other than what they already told you? No. I don't remember much after they asked about Kelowna. Just, there's no way they had any intention of letting me get out of there without somehow unblocking the memories they wanted. It didn't matter to them that I have no control over what I remember. They assumed if they pushed hard enough it would be like bringing down a dam and everything would come flooding back."

"Daniel, what happened after they made you focus on Kelowna?"

"It was like being in two places at one time. I read about it, of course, but before this I didn't have any real memory of what happened. It felt like I was on fire."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better. It's still there in my head though. It's still..." He waved his hand briefly. "Not as bad as before, but definitely uncomfortable."

"I want to help you, but I need to know what they put in your system first before I add anything to it." She ordered a spectrum of blood tests. "What I can do is monitor your condition, and make you as comfortable as possible."

"It's really not as bad as it was, and I'd really rather just go back to my own room."

"I'm sorry Daniel, but I need to monitor you for any adverse effects of what they've done. I won't do anything you don't want me to." Janet assured him.

He still didn't feel like there was much of a choice in the matter. His memories of this place confused him; he'd been starting to feel comfortable here, even liking it. And now this, he wasn't sure what to think anymore, or who to trust. He had thought that he could trust Jack to watch his back whatever the man's motive might be, and Jack did come through for him. However, refusing to go along with Dr Fraser could simply end him in exactly the same place he just got out of. "Okay." He said finally

He lied down and tried to not think about the sensation of his skin and internal organs melting from radiation exposure.

"I'm going to stick around a while." Jack said to Sam and Teal'c as he pulled up a chair. Janet was busy taking his temperature, blood pressure, and shining a penlight into his eyes. When she finished she pulled the privacy curtain closed and left Jack and Daniel alone.

"Hey." Jack smiled. "Doing okay?" Daniel nodded and Jack let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. He could see, clear as day, that Daniel was not okay, and the fact that Daniel kept insisting that he was made it just that much worse. "Can I get you anything?"

"Thirsty." Daniel croaked out.

Jack tripped over himself to get a cup of ice water, and watched Daniel drink.

"I'm sorry." Jack said quickly

Daniel blinked.

"We should have warned you that not everyone gets along here. I could have made you a list, who to trust and who to punch in the face, that kind of thing. But I didn't even think of it, and with your memories coming back... We all just kind of assumed you were up to speed on everything. If your memory was up to snuff, you wouldn't have even considered granting that interview."

"I didn't think I had an option. Anyway, they told me you authorised it." Daniel's voice was still rough and sore.

Jack shook his head. "Not in a million years, no. One of the airmen they used to transport you came back here and told us what happened."

Daniel nodded.

"Did _you_ think I..."

"It's been a long day. I'm confused. I don't know what to think, and I'd rather not be here right now." He reached up and put a hand over his eyes to block out the light.

"Headache?"

"Yeah."

"You want out of the infirmary?" Jack asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Jack got up, peeked out the curtain. "I think Janet's gone for the moment. I'll help you bust out, but only on one condition."

"Anything."

"We stay on the base, and I stick around to make sure there's none of those adverse reactions Janet was telling us about. Deal."

"Oh yes."

Daniel pushed himself up, uncoordinated and shaky. If Jack could get him out of the infirmary, he'd be willing to follow him anywhere. Jack motioned for him to follow a moment later, and Daniel tried his best to stay balanced. There was one other patient in the infirmary, a tall man Daniel recognised as Sgt Siler. It was ridiculously easy. Jack led the way at first, but then slowed down and held onto Daniel's upper arm to keep him steady as another wave of dizziness wash over him.

"Your office?" Jack offered.

"Won't it be easy to find us there?"

"The idea isn't to hide, but to simply get out in the first place. Trust me, this isn't our first time at this party."

"Oh." Daniel let Jack keep hold of his arm as the world spun oddly around him. They passed personnel along the way, but suffered nothing worse than the odd glance.

"Almost there." Jack encouraged pulling Daniel forward when he felt the other man slowing down even more.

"How far."

"Not far. If I have to call Janet and get a med unit down here to scrape you up off the floor, I won't forgive you. Just around one more corner, okay?"

Daniel resisted the need to sit. Surprisingly, Jack wasn't lying. In his office, around the familiar smells of old coffee and dust, Daniel finally relaxed and collapsed on the couch.

"Thank you."

"Nothing you haven't done for me."

"I don't remember."

"Yet." Jack added. "There's still more coming, right? New things all the time."

"Yeah." Daniel agreed tiredly. The memories had seemed to come back so fast at first. Big events just spilling into his head with revelations and discoveries at every turn. Now that it had slowed to an annoying trickle, he was afraid it might just dry up and stop before everything could get through.

"What will happen to the scientists now? They're going to try and spin this to make it look like they were just following orders, aren't they?" Daniel asked suddenly.

"They've been arrested. They're military scientists participating in top secret research. Nothing they did was authorised by any department of our government. If they were all recruited and paid to do what they did by an outside source, the Trust, it's likely they will be charged with treason."

"Thanks for coming for me."

"I wouldn't have needed to if I was doing anything right in the first place. Hopefully you won't remember too much about what happened there."

Daniel nodded. "It's vague. After the electric shocks started, it all started to blend."

Jack looked away.

"It wasn't electrotherapy to stimulate memory. That's bullshit." Daniel added.

"I know. It's science babble for torture. You're going to feel kind of confused and fuzzy about things for a while. An after effect."

"Ha, like that's anything new."

"What?"

"Confused and fuzzy. You know, cause I'm still..." He made a circular motion at his head.

Jack caught his hand. "It will come back. You'll remember."

"How would I know?" Daniel snapped and pulled away. At the hurt look that appeared on Jack's face, he immediately felt sorry about treating a 'friend' harshly. Which brought him back to thinking about Kelowna. He remembered Jack sitting with him he first got back. He remembered Jack being pissed off about not being able to do anything about it. Before the scientists at Area 51 had got to him, he was suspicious of Jack's motives for wanting him back on SG-1. Now, with more memories around the events leading to his ascension, Daniel was starting to understand Jack's weird behaviour a bit better.

"What do you remember about what happened after Kelowna?" Daniel asked.

"Ha. You mean what don't I remember. That day is pretty much burned into my memory as the crappiest mission of all time. The bastards wanted to blame you for their little weapon nearly exploding. Janet had you drugged up on painkillers and sedatives. Other than adding that whole freaking planet to the list of who not to trust, anything you can forget about the whole mess is well worth the loss." Jack cleared his throat. "You were my best friend. I hope instead that'll be in some of the memories you remember next."

"It's getting there. And the new memories are helping too."

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End. Unless you can tell me where I should go with it next.

Please review to let me you read it.


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